There have been greater than 1,000 monkeypox circumstances reported to the World Health Organization (WHO) within the present outbreak outdoors the international locations in Africa the place it extra generally spreads.
WHO Director-General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus mentioned the danger of monkeypox changing into established in these non-endemic international locations was actual, however preventable at this level.
Twenty-nine international locations have reported circumstances within the present outbreak, which started in May. None have reported deaths.
At a media briefing in Geneva, Mr. Tedros additionally mentioned there had been greater than 1,400 suspected circumstances of monkeypox this yr in Africa and 66 deaths.
“It’s an unfortunate reflection of the world we live in that the international community is only now paying attention to monkeypox because it has appeared in high-income countries,” he mentioned.
He mentioned the outbreak was exhibiting indicators of neighborhood transmission in some international locations. WHO recommends individuals with monkeypox isolate at residence.
Cases are nonetheless predominantly amongst males who’ve intercourse with males, the WHO mentioned, though circumstances in girls have been reported.
The U.N. company is working with organizations together with U.N. AIDS and neighborhood teams to boost consciousness and cease transmission.
Post-exposure vaccination, together with for well being employees or shut contacts, together with sexual companions — ideally inside 4 days of publicity — could also be thought-about for some international locations, WHO added. The vaccines getting used are designed towards smallpox, a associated, extra harmful virus that the world eradicated in 1980, but in addition work to guard towards monkeypox, research have proven.
WHO senior official Sylvie Briand mentioned the company is assessing the efficiency of vaccines stockpiled towards smallpox and contacting producers and international locations who’ve beforehand pledged vaccines.
Source: www.thehindu.com
